Freedom of Expression and Location: Are There Constitutional Dead Zones?

Abstract

Do reporters have the right to conduct interviews in courthouse hallways? May political activists hand out leaflets in shopping centres? Are journalists entitled to attend disciplinary hearings in the chambers of the law society? Do advertisers have the right to place ads on public buses? These questions have one thing in common: they all concern the exercise of freedom of expression in certain locations — courthouses, shopping centres, private offices, buses. But do all locations without exception benefit from the guarantee of freedom of expression in section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, or do some fall beyond its scope?